Yintao

Yuntao (Chinese: 允祹; 18 January 1686 – 1 September 1763) was a member of the Qing dynasty imperial family, recognized as the twelfth son of the Kangxi Emperor. He held the title of Prince Lü of the First Rank.

Born on 18 January 1686, Yuntao was the son of Concubine Ding, whose family name was Wanlioha Niuniu. During his childhood, Yuntao received education from Sumalagu, a confidant of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. In 1695, he was awarded a yellow riding jacket in recognition of his martial arts abilities. According to historical records, Yuntao referred to Sumalagu as Azhagu, meaning "careful" in the Manchu language. When Sumalagu fell critically ill in 1705, Yuntao personally cared for her.

In 1709, Yuntao was granted the title of prince of the fourth rank for his merits. Following the death of Kangxi Emperor, Yuntao was responsible for controlling the Bordered Yellow Banner, although some records indicate he had control over the Plain White Banner. Throughout his lifetime, Yuntao generally maintained a neutral stance during the succession conflicts among his brothers.

In 1722, he was elevated to the position of first bearer of the Prince Lü of the Second Rank title. The following year, he was demoted to beizi (companion prince) and later downgraded further to the grace defender duke due to certain delicts. In 1730, he was restored to the prince of the second rank. In 1735, the Qianlong Emperor promoted him to Prince of the First Rank and assigned him responsibilities including overseeing the compilation of the imperial genealogy.

Yuntao's mother expressed sorrow when his heir presumptive died in 1750. She was later comforted by Hongli, who became the Yongyan Emperor. In 1757, Yuntao brought Consort Dowager Ding to his residence for recuperation. Lady Wanlioha, Yuntao’s mother, died at age 96 at his manor, becoming the longest-lived imperial consort in Qing history.

Yuntao died on 1 September 1763. Posthumously, he was honored as Prince Lüyi of the First Rank, with the character "Lü" meaning "implementing in a righteous way".

Regarding his family, Yuntao's primary consort was Imperial Princess Consort Luyi of the Fuca clan. They had several children, including a son born in 1706 who died in infancy, and a second son named Hongshi, born in 1707 and died in 1710. His secondary consort was from the Fanggiya clan, and they had children including a daughter who became Princess of the Third Rank, and a shizi (heir apparent) named Hongkun. He also had multiple concubines from various clans, producing additional daughters and sons, some of whom died young.

Yuntao's family relationships and titles reflect his position within the Qing imperial structure, and his life spans several significant periods of Qing history, from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century.